Various types of driverless material handling automatic guided vehicles (AGV) are in operation today. These AGVs generally navigate about a facility using some type of guidepath tracking or sighting unique landmarks such as bar code targets while under the control of an AGV system host computer. Typically, the host computer relays by radio to the AGV a dispatch command describing the job to be performed, such as picking up a load at point X, and depositing it at point Y. The host computer, having knowledge of facility layout, is able to dispatch jobs to the closest idle AGV that can most efficiently perform this job. The appointed AGV then follows the routing information given and completes the job.
The facility layout information that is essential to the AGV operations typically is obtained by a survey team. This same information is also used by the plant process planning group for material handling simulation and planning, and entered into a computer system dedicated to that task. Additionally, the same layout information is entered into the AGV system host computer. The present method incorporates the AGV system and the facility computer system, and as a result, eliminates information regeneration and some manual entry. This method also allows for facility layout information to be verified and corrected by an operating AGV, relaying it back to the AGV host computer, and updating the information in the manufacturing process planning computer. Further, any modifications in the layout of the facility may be changed in the AGV host computer or the manufacturing process planning computer and the new layout transferred and reflected in the other system.